Passage of Time

What is anything permanent? The passage of time can be a difficult concept for humans to comprehend. When contemplating the past, present, and future, the concept of time make us feel very small. Experiencing the changing of seasons, enduring the evolution of landscapes, watching the ticking hands of a clock, turning pages of a calendar, and celebrating life’s milestones are all ways that individuals concretely see time.

Unit Plans

Rationale for Teaching

The passage of time as an enduring idea can significantly challenge teachers and learners to contemplate beyond what is seen. The concept of time generates thought provoking discussions connected to art, science, philosophy, history, geography, math, and beyond. The learner is confronted with the challenge of confronting the concrete and abstract ideas of time. The passage of time plays a significant role in art making, art criticism, and art conservation and lends itself to a variety of subject matter from earthworks to contemporary collage.